


Seeing Red

by HelenBlossom



Series: Monstrous Romance [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Monster Hunters, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Kinda?, Multi, Vampire England (Hetalia)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-08-18 09:52:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8157941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelenBlossom/pseuds/HelenBlossom
Summary: "Please. I have a demon as a brother, my oldest friend is an incubus, I'm friends with hellhounds, werewolves and a kitsune. Plus I'm a 216 year old vampire. I'm pretty sure I can handle some mortal monster hunter."
Of course, luck has a tendency of never quite being on Arthur's side. Then again, after roughly 216 years of experience, you'd think he know that by now.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just the beginning of another day in the life of Arthur Kirkland.

Arthur's eyes cracked open to see velvet padding. Letting out a stifled yawn, he forced himself to get up, pushing his coffin bed open and sitting up. The black lace curtains were still drawn on his windows, and reluctantly, he heaved himself out of his burrow of blankets and pillows. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Arthur pulled the curtains aside and let the sunlight filter through the darkened glass. It was a lie vampires burned in the sun, they were just more vunerable to burns due to their pale skin. 

Pushing away from the window, the English vampire walked over to his waredrobe, putting on a white dress shirt, black jeans and white gloves. 

Even though vampires didn't burn in sunlight, it was easier to just cover up.

Adding a dark blue suit jacket on top of that, and slipping into his formal black shoes, he was satisfied. He ran a hand through his hair, deciding to keep it as it is. There was the downside of being unable to look in mirrors, but he wasn't too bothered. He was used to it after 216 years-being born a vampire was much more easier than being changed, at least in that aspect.

On his way past the kitchen, he picked up a bright red apple, taking bites as he went to check he had packed everything he needed in his school bag the night before. 

"Artie!"

The vampire grumbled, turning around to see his younger brother, Peter, leaping the stairs two at a time.

Arthur groaned. Peter was not a vampire, like his mother and himself. He took after their father in physical species-a demon with bat-like, black wings, a long black tail and a red tint in his murky blonde hair. 

"Yes, Peter?"  
He answered, rifling through his notes on the History of Hell.  
"And for the love of God, don't call me Artie."

"Ugh, you're so stiff. I thought you said you would finally teach me how to hunt. That was thirty years ago"  
Peter complained, rocking on the balls of his feet as he tried to peer over his older brother's shoulder. Needless to say, he was too short to see anything. 

"I've been busy with studies for the past sixteen years, and before then, Mum wouldn't let me go out alone. Besides, Dad has been hunting souls for the both of you to eat. I don't see why you need to learn yet. You're only 188, and I only started to learn when I was 200." He stuffed his papers back into his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. "Nearly there though. Just another 12 years to go."

"I can't wait that looong..."  
The demonic child whined, flicking his tail from side to side in annoyance.

His brother merely rolled his eyes, before ruffling his hair.  
"Tough. See you after school, you little rascal."

And with that, Arthur turned on his heel and began walking briskly down the hallway to the front door, glancing at his watch to check the time. 

"Buh-bye, Art!"  
Peter's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. 

The teen rolled his eyes at the mention of yet another ridiculous nickname, an amused smirk playing on his lips. 

"Goodbye, Pete!"  
He yelled back, closing the front door behind him and registering the cool breeze that whistled through the forest surrounding the Kirkland mansion.  
   
The soft hum of a distant motor came to his ears and he checked his watch once again.

Good. The bus was right on time.

He walked down the stone path, his heels clicking as he automatically walked closer to the edge of the path, half obscured by shadows the trees around him cast. 

Stuffing his hands in his pocket, he absentmindedly ran his tounge over his fangs as his eyes were trained on the flash of red in the trees to his right. Just as he reached the end of the path, a blood red bus came to a halt in front of him, the doors opening slowly. 

Arthur boarded the bus, nodding at the bus driver in greeting, whom he recognised as an adult werewolf, Germanic if he remembered correctly; two of his grandsons attended the school while his other, distant grandsons went to private schools elsewhere. 

The man nodded back, closing the bus door and beginning to drive again. 

The vampire moved down the bus, seating himself near the back and shifting closer to the window, watching the forests blur into a mix of a variety of different greens and browns, melding into blue as they reached the outskirts of the forest and shifting to a soft red and coal black as they entered Hell. This was the last stop before the school itself, and it was where most of the students boarded.

As the bus slowed to a stop, Arthur shifted his gaze to the door, waiting to see who was boarding. The first he recognised to board were two hellhound children in their human form-Feliciano was in the year below him and Lovino was in his year in school, only just being old enough.

Following on after them was a small Japanese boy: Kiku. The Kitsune could have easily been mistaken for a human had it not been for the black fox ears and two fox tails. Then again, most of the supposed 'monsters' could be mistaken as a human as well in ther current human forms, excluding a few traits they couldn't change, like Arthur's fangs. Although, he was one of the only ones who naturally had the form of a human.

Next was Francis-an incubus. Although they both squabbled, Francis was an old friend. The teen hated being an incubus, believing more in true love than sexual activity. Of course, both his parents disagreed, both being a purebred incubus and succubus respectively.

He took the seat next to Arthur, smiling comfortingly at the other as he settled.  
"Bonjour, petit vampire."

Arthur's lips curled into a half-smile in response.  
"Hello, frog." 

The Englishboy rested his head against the window as the bus eased into motion. 

"Must you call me such horrible names?"  
The incubus next to him frowned dramatically, placing a hand over his heart.  
"I'm wounded, Arthur. After 200 years of knowing you, I would have thought you would have changed."

"Well, some old habits never change. Suck it up."  
Arthur replied smoothly, watching the scenery shift once again.

Francis remained silent, pulling a romance novel from his book and opening it to a bookmarked page, shifting to become more comfortable. Arthur was grateful for the silence, letting himself relax as he watched the soft blur of colours outside the glass and listened to the overbearing sounds of the other students drone out as he focused his hearing on the calming hum of the engine. 

"Ciao!"

The vampire nearly jumped out of his skin. He jerked in surprise, banging his head painfully against the glass as he turned to glare at the owner of the voice.

"Oops, sorry."

Feliciano's head was propped in between the two chairs, his ears twitching with excitement. 

"You could have at least given me a bloody warning.."  
Arthur grumbled, rubbing his head.

"I just wanted to say that we're nearly at school. See?"  
The hellhound pointed out of the window to a blur of grey and red, contrasting with green, in the distance.

Francis perked up, putting his book back into his bag and looking over Arthur's head to see the school.  
"Ah, oui. Merci, Feliciano."

"No problem!"  
He smiled his bright, signature smile before his head disappeared.

"Why do have to be so grumpy all the time, Arthur?"  
The Frenchboy murmured, turning his gaze to his companion.

"Why do you have to be so nosy all the time?"  
He rebuttled, frowning as he ducked his head, checking his bag a final time before shifting, slinging it onto his back.

Another silence graced them, Francis pursing his lips as he pulled his bag onto his back and turned his gaze to the pair across from them-Arthur didn't know who they were. 

Once again, the bus was slowing, and the doors creaked open. A steady flow of students poured out, spreading out once they got off to meet their friends. 

Noticing that it was clear as day that Francis wanted nothing to do with him for the time being, he waited next to the bus for Kiku, who emerged almost last. 

They exchanged greetings, before beginning the walk to the main building. 

"So."  
Kiku broke the short silence that had fallen upon them, his eyes trained on the floor.  
"Have you seen the news? They suspect monster hunters have moved closer to the area, from the south."

Arthur froze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make Peter and Arthur's relationship more brotherly. Sorry if it seems weird.
> 
> List of Species in this chapter:  
> -Arthur Kirkland ~ Vampire  
> -Peter Kirkland ~ Demon  
> -Folkert Beilschmidt ~ Werewolf  
> -Feliciano Vargas ~Hellhound  
> -Lovino Vargas ~ Hellhound  
> -Kiku Honda ~ Kitsune  
> -Francis Bonnefoy ~ Incubus


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, a day in the life of Mr Alfred Jones.

"This is stupid."  
Alfred grumbled, twirling his pen between his fingers as he stared at the textbook in front of him.

Matthew scoffed, nudging him.  
"You're stupid, stupid."

The boy smiled at him weakly.  
"But seriously Matt, why do we need to know all...this!"  
He motioned angrily at the textbook.

"It's the type of knowledge you'd need for this job."  
His brother replied simply before closing the textbook, sliding his piece of paper towards Alfred.  
"Here. If you really don't want to read that, just copy my notes."

"Thanks, Mattie."  
Alfred said softer than normal, skimming the notes. 

"No problem. Do you want some coffee?"  
The other stood, and leaving to go to the kitchen. 

"Sure."  
Alfred grinned, scribbling furiously.

The front door opened, forcing Alfred to look up to see who had arrived home first.

Antonio was in the doorway, several plastic bags on each arm.

Alfred waved from his desk.  
"Hey, Toni!"

Antonio grinned in his direction.  
"How are your studies going?"

Alfred groaned, resting his head on the table.  
"Don't remind me..."

The Spaniard laughed, dropping the plastic bags gently.  
"If you're lucky, we'll be doing some hunting practise soon."

Al perked up.  
"Really?!"

He nodded.  
"If Yao and Ivan give us the green light, we'll be ready to go."

"Cool!"  
Came Matthew's voice as he walked back into the room, holding two cups of coffee. He set one on the desk next to Alfred and seated himself on the couch next to him.  
"Hi, Toni. Got everything from the shopping list?"

"Si, of course."  
He began moving to the kitchen, Matthew leaving his half drunken coffee on the desk to go and help him. 

Alfred finished his notes, stuffing the papers in his folder and putting the textbooks back on the shelf.

Finishing off his coffee, the American brougt it back to the kitchen, just for Antonio to yell in his ear.

"Lightning round, tres dos uno, GO!"

Alfred stumble in surprise, covering his ear closest to the Spaniard with his free hand. 

"What is a vampire's weakness?"  
Matthew chirped, taking his brother's empty cup and going to wash it in the sink.

Alfred replied as soon almost immeadiately, removing his hand from his ear, receiting his notes.  
"Garlic, sunlight, stakes and wooden crosses are the documented weaknesses."

"So...?"  
Antonio urged, motioning for him to continue.

"So a good monster hunter must always have one of the previously stated on them. Except for sunlight, obviously. You wouldn't a vampire in the middle of the day."  
Alfred's serious face suddenly broke into a grin, pulling a black piece of string from around his neck and showing off a small wooden cross at the end of the string. 

Antonio smiled back, showing off his bracelet, which was similar to Alfred's necklace: made of black string with miniature wooden cross as a charm.

Matthew, in turn, showed off his necklace. Again made of blacks string, but instead of a cross, had a small glass bottle on the end of it, containing a clove of garlic. 

 

"Good. How do you kill a demon?"  
Antonio questioned, toying with his bracelet, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Salt and holy water are the documented substances used to kill a demon."  
Alfred answered, pulling a packet of salt from his pocket-the type you'd get from a restaurant, or maybe a take away.

Matthew reached into his pocket and revealed a vial the size of his finger filled with holy water. That was the only amount of holy water the group had been able to aquire, and Matthew was trusted with it as he was the most gentle out of all of them. 

He wrapped it back into a piece of thick fabric to protect the glass and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Yup!"  
Matthew nodded, as Alfred put the salt back in his pocket.

"I still need to put salt around my bedroom door, actually."  
He mused, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Maybe you should go and do that now, Al."  
His brother murmured, looking at Alfred with a small frown.

"Psh, I can do it later."  
He responded, waving his hand dismissively.

"If you say that, you're never going to do it."  
Matthew said, annoyed before he pushed Alfred  
out of the kitchen. Grumbling, Alfred stomped off to his bedroom.

Opening the door and a packet of salt, he sprinkled the salt into the cracks of the floorboard surrounding his door. After two packets of salt, he was happy with his work, throwing the empty packets into the bin in his room, which was already overflowing. 

Closing the door as he stepped into the room to allow himself some privacy, he collapsed onto the bed face first.

Bored, he grabbed his Nintendo from his bedside table, switching it on and checkig the game. Mariokart. Shrugging his shoulders, Alfred shifted to get into a more comfortable position. 

After another hour, he was bored. Again.

Turning onto his back, he stared up at the ceiling. Sighing, he closed his eyes, bringing his hands behind his head. 

"I miss you, Mum. And...I hope that you're proud of me and Mattie, Dad."

With his head alive with silent thoughts, Alfred slowly drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Alfred F. Jones ~ Human  
> -Matthew W. Jones ~ Human  
> -Antonio Fernández Carriedo ~ Human  
> -Yao Wang ~ Human (Mentioned)  
> -Ivan Braginski ~ Human (Mentioned)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur really should have been more careful. Oh well.

Arthur loved walking in forests. Maybe it was because he grew up surrounded by one. He could spend hours just wandering among the trees, watching the natural change slightly as the seasons shifted. 

Sadly, he only had one hour for his forest wanderings today. 

It was currently lunch hour, and Arthur had managed to slip through the fence surrounding the school through a stretch of fence he had sawed away, which was hidden behind a hedge. 

Slipping his hands into his pockets, he listened the the crunching of dirt and grass beneath his footsteps, watching the shifting light, filtered by the trees.  

The smell of the natural world calmed him down. He picked a leaf from a nearby tree, examining it as he weaved in between the maze of trees. He stopped for a moment to listen to the rustling of the leaves in the breeze.

A heartbeat.

A faint, rapid heatbeat.

On instinct, his head snapped towards the noise. First his foot shifted to the left, where the sound came from. Then he started to walk towards it. Soon he was sprinting, his feet silent as if he was treading on air. His instinct to hunt was stronger than ever in this setting.

His hair tousled and eyes shining with excitement, he stopped and hid in a bush, hearing a now much faster, louder yet small heartbeat and a rythmic, large heartbeat furthur away.

Narrowing his eyes, he saw a decent sized, brown rabbit in the undergrowth, it's small beady eyes wide and alert. A mile away from it was....

 

A human?

Arthur's jaw went slack. The rumours were true? Was this a monster hunter?

The vampire shifted, pulling his legs around to be in a more comfortable sitting position rather than crouching. He took a closer look at the human, carefully moving some leaves, so as not to attract attention.

The human was slightly taller than him, roughly. He had dirty blonde hair, with one strand defying gravity, curling up towards the sky. His skin was a pale, comfortable tan and he was fairly muscular. And lastly, he had piercing blue eyes, concentrated on his prey, which was obviously the rabbit.

Shaking his head, Arthur fumbled for something in his pocket. Finally, he pulled out a vial filled with deer blood. It was one of his rations to keep him from going feral. Opening it, he brought the glass to his lips. With a final glance at the human, he tipped his head back, quickly gulping down the blood.

Shoving the now empty vial back into his pocket, he quickly prayed that the human or rabbit didn't smell the blood as an afterthought before returning his attention to the scene in front of him.

The human's muscles was tense,his stance strong. He was holding up a crossbow, one that seemed like it had been worn by time. 

Arthur hadn't seen one in decades. 

His blue eyes were narrowed with concentration, hair falling in front of his face, but the human didn't seem to try to move any of it. Arthur than assessed the hunter's clothes-black leather boots and black pants. He had a brown belt and a grey T-shirt on, and finally a bomber jacket. 

Arthur instinctly tensed as he watched the hunter take his aim. Silently encouraging, he watched as the human shot the rabbit straight threw the head. A near clean kill. 

The vampire clamped his hand over his nose and mouth, watching as deep red seeped from the dead animals wound, luring him into nearly revealing himself. The human walked over to his kill, bending down to collect the corpse, most likely to strip and put in a stew. As he picked it up, Arthur shifted, the leaves rustling a bit too loudly for his liking.

The human picked up the rabbit, his eyes scanning the area.

"Hello?"  
He called, looking around with alert and cautious eyes, much like the rabbit he shot only moments before. 

Their eyes locked only for a second.

As soon as Arthur's brain registered the situation, he was off like a bullet. He crashed into trees and branches hanging too low. His feet thundered against the soil and tree roots, his emerald eyes frantic, with his hand still clamped around his nose and mouth.

He wasn't going to give into his instinct. He wasn't going to kill a human. Not here. Not now. Not again.

"HEY! Come back!"  
Came the human's voice, laced with a strog American accent.  
"I don't mean any harm! I promise!" 

The sound of another pair of footfalls behind him came to Arthur's attention, making him push himself to run faster. 

"D-did you come here to hunt a-as well?"  
The human was breathless, yet somehow, he was able to catch up with the vampire, placing a hand on his shoulder. Arthur tensed.

He was always slow on vampire standards.

"Sorry, if I stole your prey..."  
The American chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. 

Arthur couldn't take it anymore.

"Anyway, the name's Alfr-"

He spun around, hissing at the human and curling his lip upwards, showing off his fangs, which still had remenants of his blood on it. 

"Get AWAY from me..."  
He growled in a low voice, his irises flashing red to show authority.

And with that, Arthur spun on his heel once again and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the school, not waiting for the hunter's reaction. 

Finding the missing piece of fence, he slipped back onto the school grounds and leant against the closet brick wall. Sliding down it, he closed his eyes, regretting what he did.

He had fallen for a human. Hard.

And he didn't even let him introduce himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Arthur Kirkland ~ Vampire  
> -Alfred F. Jones ~ Human


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the meeting.

"You met a hunter?"  
Francis whispered, walking beside Arthur as the two of them made their way to the bus stop. 

The vampire nodded quickly, his green eyes trained on the floor. His mind was still on the  human he had met earlier. 

The incubus was silent for a moment before he murmured his response.  
"You need to tell the school."

Arthur snapped his head up, staring at the other like he was insane.  
"W-what?! Why?"

Francis closed his eyes, taking a moment to calm himself before he answered. His pace slowed so it matched Arthur's.  
"If monster hunters are that close to the school then it could be a dange-"

"And how would explain that I've been sneaking out of school every lunch?"  
He cut the Frenchboy off, hissing lowly.  
"Besides, he didn't follow me back to the school. Only about halfway."

As they entered the crowd swarming around the bus stop, Francis shot Arthur a skeptical look.  
"And how do you know for sure?"

Arthur pushed some of his hair back, revealing clearly his slightly pointed ears.  
"Heightened hearing. I would have heard him behind me."

Francis seemed to lower his voice even more, if that was possible.  
"I'm just worried for you. What if something happens to you while your on one of your lunchtime walks?"

Arthur scoffed, rolling his eyes.  
"Please. I have a demon as a brother, my oldest friend is an incubus, I'm friends with hellhounds, werewolves and a kitsune. Plus I'm a 216 year old vampire. I'm pretty sure I can handle some mortal monster hunter."

The incubus promptly dropped the conversation.

The bus arrived in a cloud of smoke, the doors creaking open. The students piled on quickly, Arthur and Francis finding a seat near the back.

The bus began to move, the familiar chatter of friends whining about the school day. The Brit watched the scenery blurring. 

"I'm sorry about this morning."  
Arthur suddenly said, before he could catch himself.

The incubus looked up from his novel before he smiled softly.  
"Forgiven, mon petit chauve-souris."

Arthur and Francis' relationship was more brotherly than it was anything. 

■□■□■□■□■□■□■

"You met a vampire?"  
Matthew gasped in a hushed tone, his hands wrapped around his cup of hot chocolate.

"Yep."  
His brother replied simply, staring blankly down at his own cup.

"You should tell Ivan or Yao. We finally have a lead, after all."  
The other advised, taking a sip of his drink.

Alfred looked up hesitantly.  
"B-but it was weird, Matt. He was in broad daylight and he seemed completely unaffected."

The other hummed in confusion.  
"That is weird...maybe the facts were..wrong?"

Alfred ran a hand through his hair.  
"What if they're all wrong? Then we have no real protection against the supernatural."

"I guess that could be possible."  
Matthew sighed, setting his half empty cup down on the coffee table.  
"But there's no point worrying about that. We still need to tell the others."

The other teen leaned backwards, lazily placing the cup onto the coffee table as well.  
"But it would feel wrong to kill him. He didn't attack me or anything. In fact, he seemed scared."

Admitting defeat, his brother nodded.  
"Well, if you feel like it would be wrong to tell the others then I won't force you but...it is our job."

Alfred snorted, crossing his legs.  
"We're still apprentices, genius." 

"Well, it's going to be our job."  
Matthew stated determindly, draining the rest of his hot drink and collecting the two cups, standing.  
"Come and help me wash the dishes. None of the others have been helping and I'm pretty sure you have nothing else to do."

"Alright."  
The hunter agreed, pushing himself off the couch as well, following the other to the kitchen. 

Silence filled the room as the two worked methodically to clean up the plates and cutlery forming into a staggering tower. One washing, the other drying, switching every five minutes. No words needed to be spoken.

Matthew cleared his throat loudly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled over them.

"Soo...what did the vampire look like?"  
He asked, out of real curiosity. The textbooks seemed inaccurate in the way they displayed vampires as either bald and blue or strikingly handsome with black hair.

"Like a normal teenage boy."  
Alfred mused after a moment to think.  
"He had messy blonde hair, and really pale skin. Just a bit shorter than me, too. When I tried to confront him, his eyes were flashing red. Though his eyes were a pretty shade of green when I first spotted him in the bushes."

"Huh."  
Matthew said, to show that he had listened. He was trying to picture this vampire in his head.  
"You know, after what you've said, I'm starting to think the authors of those textbooks never actually met a vampire."

Alfred snickered as he handed another plate to Matthew, drenched in soapy water.  
"Yeah. They were probably just trying to grab some attention. Or they were actually written by vampires trying to get us humans off their backs."

Matthew smiled, placing the now dry plate into the cabinet.  
"That's quite the theory you've got there."

"Bet it's true."  
Al challenged, chest pushed out in confidence. His brother just sniggered.  
"Sure, sure. Now hurry up and finish washing that last plate."

The American stuck his tounge out, picking up the aforementioned plate.  
"What if I don't wanna?"

Matthew smirked at the question.  
"I'll burn your Captain America posters. Y'know, the ones you spent ages trying to collect.

Alfred's sapphire eyes widened before he scowled and plunged the plate into the water.  
"Fine!"

"Nerd."

"Don't call me a nerd, ya nerd."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Arthur Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Francis Bonnefoy~Incubus  
> -Alfred F. Jones~Human  
> -Matthew W. Jones~Human


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank God Arthur decided to have a walk in the forest today.

Alfred and Matthew weaved silently through the trees, leaves and branches crunching beneath their footsteps. The American fidgeted with his bag straps, glancing at the surrounding forest with suspicion.

"So this was roughly where you first met the vampire?"  
Matthew murmured quietly, stopping in the next clearing and leaning against a tree.

"Mhm!"  
Alfred nodded in confirmation, leaning next to his brother.  
"But I doubt anything is going to come now. They probably know we're here."

The other just shrugged in response, closing his lavender eyes.  
"It's something. Just be glad I covered for us so we could actually sneak out here without telling the others about your encounter."

Al just rolled his eyes, glancing at the surrounding area once again before sighing.  
"There's nothing. We might as well just le-"

"Well, what have we here~"  
A seductive voice cut in. Emerging from the trees opposite the two boys were two women who looked to be, at the youngest, seventeen.

The first had long, blonde hair and soft blue eyes tinted red. Her strapless crimson dress was low, showing off some cleavage, yet was short so it stopped mid thigh. She was wearing knee high leather lace-up boots.

The second had short, hazel hair which dissolved into red at the tips. Her eyes were a dark brown with red surounding the irises. Her own dress was similar to the other's, the only difference being it was slightly longer. Both had a pair of bat-like wings folded neatly against their backs.

Succubi.

Alfred heard his companion take a sharp intake of breath as he too recognised the creatures in front of him.

"Mmm, what are you two handsome boys doing out here alone?"  
The second purred, as the two advanced quickly, trapping the two against the tree.

"Go to fucking hell."  
Alfred hissed as the blonde leaned closer to him, looking at him with half-lidded eyes.

"Aw, come on babe~"  
She smiled deviously, the second confronting Matthew, who wasn't in a better situation in the least.

Oh boy.

□■□■□■□■□■□■

Francis and Arthur walked through the forest, having a small conversation. It was the weekend, meaning there was no school, but one had to admit, the woods surrounding the school was beautiful. They had met up just to wander aimlessly through it, and exchange conversation.

Suddenly, Francis tensed. 

"Hey, are you alright?"  
Arthur turned, sending his friend a strange look.

"There are two succubi in the area."  
He shuddered. Francis didn't have a great reputation in his species' community, just due to how he acted.

The vampire paused, taking the moment to actually pay attention to what he was hearing and his eyes widened when he heard it. Two strong, yet frantic heartbeats. Humans. Succubi.

"Fuck!"  
Arthur yelled, grabbing Francis and starting to sprint towards the source of the heartbeats. 

"W-what is it?"  
Francis said, startled, before he realised where Arthur was running.  
"WHY ARE YOU APPROACHING THEM?!"

"There are humans there!"  
He hissed back, slowing until he was walking once again. The heartbeats now filled his ears, overwhelming him. Of course,he could have blocked it out, but he knew they were in danger, and because of that, he prevented himself from doing so.

When they reached the edge of the clearing, the incubus next to him was shivering as he spotted the two succubi, cornering two males against a tree. They remained in the shadows silently.

Arthur suddenly recognised who was being cornered. The hunter he had met.

Something just snapped inside him.

His eyes gleamed red and he felt his fangs lengthen. His hands clenched into fists, and he was trembling with anger. 

Francis tried desperately tried to calm him down, but sadly failed. Arthur stormed out of the shadows.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THEM!"  
He roared, surprising the succubi, who swiftly spun around.

"Get your own kill. Their souls are ours, vampire."  
The brunette sneered, narrowing her eyes.

Alfred's eyes were wide with surprise. The vampire-yet he looked so much angrier. Matthew glanced at him, analysing his face before coming to the conclusion that the vampire in front of them was the same one Alfred met earlier.

"Arthur!"  
Francis murmured, emerging from the shadows with a jumpy expression.

"Oh, it's just you. Traitor."  
The blonde spat. Francis' face flushed with embarassment, ducking back and curling his tail nervously.

"Leave him alone. I'm already mad, and I'm sure you don't want to provoke me any more."  
The English vampire warned, his irises now glowing a bright scarlet, which demanded attention.

"Or what?"  
The blonde jeered, as nobody expected Arthur to do anything drastic.

Narrowing his eyes, he reached into his pocket and grabbed a hold of his dagger, inscribed with holy words. He usually never used it, especially seeing as he lived with demons, but now was a prime opportunity.

Pushing off the ground, he launched at the blonde, aiming for her neck. Pinning her to the nearest tree, he pushed her head back, pressing the dagger to her neck, causing a thin red line to form. She screamed in rage, clawing at his face and scalp, the vampire ignoring it as he shifted. The brunette screeched, running at Arthur to attack.

The Brit dodged, causing her to skid and fall ungracefully to the ground.

Taking his chance, he plunged his fangs into the succubus' neck as her friend scrambled to her feet. As he sucked her blood, he cringed at the tainted taste. Quickly, Arthur stabbed the dagger into her chest, piercing her heart. Gasping, her life left her immediately. Blood seeped through her clothes as Arthur twisted the blade sharply before pulling it out. Pulling his fangs out, he dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor, wiping his mouth on the back of his neck.

"Y-you asshole.."  
Her voice brought the vampire's attention to the other succubus. She leaped at him, only managing a cut to the cheek before he swiftly grabbed her wrist, forcing her to the ground. She hissed as he bit into her neck fiercely, stabbing her heart almost seconds afterwards. Pulling the blade and his fangs away, he stood up. Taking one last, wrathful look at the dead brunette's face, he stamped on her face, listening to the loud crack of her skull being crushed.

Pocketing the dagger, he took a few breaths to calm himself. Then he took a few moments to wipe his mouth and fix his dishevelled hair. His eyes changed slowly back to a soft emerald green and his fangs retraced back to their normal size. 

He turned to see Francis staring at him with eyes as wide as saucers and the two humans still and speechless.

"S-sorry. I was just angry with how those two took advantage of you...and insulted you, Francis."  
Arthur explained sheepishly, taking note of his blood splattered clothes.  
"I'm not usually that violent."

Alfred was the first to speak up.  
"You're not going to kill us, right?"

The Englishboy's eyes widened and he looked at the human.  
"Oh, hell no. There's nothing wrong with you."

After a moment to consider if it was a good idea, the vampire approached the two hunters. He stuck his hand out.

"Arthur Kirkland. Vampire...if it wasn't obvious enough. Behind me is my friend, Francis. An incubus who basically hates what his species does."

Alfred hesitated, before briskly shaking his hand.  
"I'm Alfred F. Jones. This guy here is my bro, Matthew."

"It's nice to meet you, Arthur."  
Matthew said politely, still shaken by the ordeal.

Arthur nodded, before he turned his attention back on Alfred.  
"You're the hunter from earlier."

The American nodded in reponse.  
"And you're the vampire I met." 

"Mhm. And you should be grateful I saved your arse."  
Arthur folded his arms and took a glance at the succubis' dead bodies.  
"Otherwise you'd be very dead by now, even if they weren't able to seduce you."

"Yeah, thanks. But...why did you save us?"  
Alfred asked, ignoring his brother's shuffling beside him.

The vampire exhaled, closing his eyes.  
"I...don't know. It came as an instinct."

He opened his eyes again.  
"I have no interest in your blood, if you're wondering."

Alfred nodded in response,before he smiled.  
"Well, it was nice meeting you. Maybe we'll meet again soon!"

The Brit chuckled.  
"Yes, maybe. But right now, we have to get home."

"Don't worry, we need to get back too."  
Alfred grinned.

After exchanging farewells, the two pairs set off in their seperate directions.

The walk between Francis and Arthur was fairly silent until the Frenchboy broke it.  
"You know, the way you acted was almost...primal. You were very protective. In fact, you've never acted like that before."

They continued walking, listening to the soft crunch of leaves below them.

Francis suddenly gasped softly, making Arthur turn to look at him.  
"What?"

"Arthur...you know about vampire soulmates, right?"  
Francis asked cautiously.

"Of course, you bloody idiot, I am a vampire."  
Arthur scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Then, how do vampires act around their soulmate?"  
The incubus questioned, glancing at the other.

The vampire sighed before giving his answer.  
"Vampires are usually overprotective and almost primal for their soulmate. Although most cannot recognise a soulmate instantly, it usually becomes obvious from the way the vampire is acting, which will come naturally around their...soul..mate.."

Arthur lowered his voice, his eyes widening as he realised what Francis was trying to hint at.

"Alfred is my fucking soulmate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Alfred F. Jones~Human  
> -Matthew W. Jones~Human  
> -Arthur Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Francis Bonnefoy~Incubus  
> +2 Unidentified Succubi


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur really should have expected that type of reaction. Also, Francis' arrival home.

"My soulmate is a monster hunter."  
Arthur murmured for the fiftieth time, his face buried in his mother's neck.

"I know, sweetie."  
She replied once again, raking her hand through his blonde locks. The two were huddled on the sofa, and had been for the last five minutes.

Lynette had been more than concerned when her son came home half an hour late with blood all over his clothes, wounds and scratches on his face and a tired yet almost disbelieving look on his face. After ushering him to the bathroom to clean up, she tried to pry the story out of her son. Naturally, he was stubborn so this went on for about half an hour before finally, he told her everything.

And that was how the two ended up on the sofa.

"Out of all the people in the world..."  
Arthur added, pulling away from his mum's comforting embrace.

"Are you alright?"  
Lynn asked, worry evident in her voice.

The younger vampire nodded, running a hand through his hair.  
"Just a bit surprised, I guess."

She leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead.  
"You'll be alright."

A comfortable silence settled over the two, shatter by Arthur's question.  
"How did you and Dad meet again?"

"Well.."  
Lynette began, wrapping her arms around her son, despite his protests.  
"I had just moved here with your grandparents, so naturally I was new to the school. Your father was my tourguide. I don't what it was, but as soon as I saw him, something just...clicked. We became very friends, and...eventually...lovers. We shared our first kiss about a year after we had met. It was amazing-in those few moments, I felt like I didn't need blood...as long as I had him. You can ask your dad if he felt the same way about souls, and I can guarentee that he will say yes. A spirtual bond between people that draws them together; that's what soulmates are. And when both of you realise and accept it, belive me, in that moment you'll be the happiest people alive."

A soft smile was on her face and her eyes were glazed with happiness. Arthur smiled back, before looking down.  
"That sounds so romantic...I wish I could have that."

"Who said you can't?"  
His mum retaliated, snapping out of her happy daze.

"Mum, my soulmate is literally trying to kill my species. I doubt it will end up happily ever after."  
The male said negatively, folding his arms.

"If he really is your soulmate, and if he learns to love you, he won't mind giving up job success for you."  
Lynn reassured, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. 

"If he ever does love me, that is..."  
Arthur muttered under his breath as he left the room, going to his bedroom to finish off his Dark Magic homework.

■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

Just as he finished up the last of his homework, he was interupted by Peter bounding into the room with a silly grin.

"Heya, Artie. I heard you found your soulmate. A monster hunter."  
The young demon chimed, sitting on Arthur's bed and swinging his legs.

"Yes. And?"  
His brother replied, closing his school books, placing them in a neat pile at the side of his desk and turning to face Peter.

"Tell me eeeverything. You know, what he looks like, how you met, how deeply in love you are~"

The last comment resulted in Arthur hurling a pen in the other's direction. Peter just dodged, giggling.

"Just kidding. I just came to say dinner's ready."  
The demon child laughed, before he began to fly quickly down the stairs.

Arthur rolled his eyes and made his way down to the dining room. Taking a seat next to Peter, he waited for his parents to join the table.

Lynette entered with a trolley with four plates, one for each of them, as well as four cups. Two were black filled with blood and two were red with condensed souls.

"Hello boys. Have you told your father to come down, Peter?"  
She smiled, starting to place the plates on the tables, Arthur helping with the cups.

"Yep!"  
Peter answered, taking his fork to start eating before he caught a glare from his mother. Obviously she wanted him to wait for his father to join the table.

Finally the head of the house, Aidan Kirkland arrived, greeting his family. 

They all started to eat their rabbit and salad.

In the middle of the meal, Aidan paused to talk a sip of his drink before he turned his attention to his eldest son.

"So Arthur, I've heard you've found your soulmate."  
He said, placing his cutlery down.

The young vampire groaned in annoyance. He should have expected this really. In any vampiric household, finding your soulmate was great news. Similar to how a werewolf family would react when a son finally gets a mate.

"Yes, but he's a fucking monster hunter."  
Arthur snapped, pushing his salad around his plate.

"No swearing at the table."  
His mother lightly scolded from opposite him.

"I see...well, I'm sure everything will be fine. He must feel it too, if you're soulmates."  
His father explained encouragingly, just earning a scowl from the other.

"He's a human. Humans are all completely oblivious when it comes to soulmates. They just choose whichever other human they want to be their 'mate' and completely disregard any supernatural soulmates they have."  
The young Brit sighed, begrudgingly finishing his salad.

"So they're like modern werewolves, then?"  
Peter piped up, pushing his finished plate away from him so he could prop his elbow on the table.

"Sounds like it."  
Aidan agreed, nodding before placing his empty plate and cup on the tray.  
"Thank you for the meal, darling."

He leaned over to his wife and gave her a quick kiss before leaving the room to resume his work. Peter followed his father's example, excusing himself from the table. 

Lynn gathered the plates and cups, placing them on the trolley and making her way to the kitchen. As she passed Arthur, she ruffled his hair gently.  
"You'll be fine."

And then she left, leaving him alone in the empty dining room.

■□■□■□■□■□■□■

Francis walked down the unusually silent corridor of the mansion he lived in. He lived with, not only his family, but the rest of his clan too, totalling at around 60 succubi and incubi. And every single one of them hated him.

He was unsettled by the silence, and quickly made his way to the main hall, pushing open the heavy door.

57 pairs of eyes were on him. 

His mother, who was sitting near the back, got up and approached her son. He noted that she was dressed in all black.

"Ah, Francis..."  
She murmured, stopping in front of him, her hands folded in front of her.  
"What a convenient time for you to arrive. We just found out that two of our younger succubi were murdered by a certain British vampire."

His eyes widened. Why didn't he recognise the two? No wonder they recognised him so quickly-they were in the same clan. But how did they know he murdered them?

"Interesting, isn't it?"  
She continued, her hands lighting up with purple flame. The others rose, each making their way to Francis.

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Arthur Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Lynette Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Peter Kirkland~Demon  
> -Aidan Kirkland~Demon  
> -Francis Bonnefoy~Incubus  
> -Solange Bonnefoy~Succubus


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clan traditions are weird...  
> Also, someone may have a crush~

"You're hiding something from us."  
Yao stated simply, leaning on the table and glancing at Alfred and Matthew. 

"W-what are ya talking about? Haha, I don't know what you're talking about!"  
Alfred chuckled awkwardly, sliding down in his seat.

"You know that you can tell us anything, da?"  
Ivan said, smiling slightly as he leaned back in his chair. 

Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by his brother.  
"W-we were just wondering wheather we actually wanted to do this for the rest of our lives. Y'know, we're only 16."

The Chinese man nodded.  
"Understandable, aru. You are both the youngest of the group, and now would be the best time to change your mind if you did."

"Just don't act so supicious next time."  
Ivan said, before waving the two away.

Matthew and Alfred escaped into the latter's bedroom. Closing the door, Matt looked at the other with a smile.  
"Okay, first of all, maybe a 'thank you' for saving your lovestruck ass."

Alfred groaned.  
"Fiiine. Thanks fo-wait, lovestruck? Who the fuck said I'm lovestruck?!"  
He glared at Matthew, who was leaning against the door.

"You talk about that vampire at least thirty times daily. I swear you have a crush on him."  
He teased lightly, walking over to sit next to Alfred on the bed.

"It's not a crush! It's just...fascination."  
The hunter replied, pausing to think of the right wording.

"Suuure."  
The other rolled his eyes, smirking in Alfred's direction.  
"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Dick."  
Alfred muttered playfully, pretending to glare angrily.

Matthew sniggered, moving to the door and opening it.  
"I'll leave you alone to think 'bout your beloved crush. See ya."

And the door clicked shut, leaving Alfred with his thoughts.

No matter how much he denied it, he was crushing. Hard.

□■□■□■□■□■□■

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Arthur, could you get that?"  
Lynn called from upstairs-the two were the only ones at home.

"Ugh...yeah!"  
He yelled back, peeling himself off the sofa and away from his book, hurrying to the front door. 

Unlocking the door, he opened it lazily, peering out. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Francis was standing on the doorstep, his hair a mess and wounds decorating his face, neck, arms and any other uncovered skin. His clothes were torn and muddied, and some blood stained through the fabric of his sleeves. His left wing was missing a large chunk near the corner and his tail had a deep cut.  
"Bonjour Arthur. I know this is unexpected, but I need hel-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the vampire had already dragged him into the house, and continued to drag him towards the bathroom.

"Instead of trying to explain yourself first, clean yourself up. Do you want to get infected?"  
He hissed, pushing him into the bathroom. 

After half an hour of scrubbing, washing, bandaging and cleaning, Francis finally looked decent. Scars still littered his neck, face and forearms obviously, and his wings weren't easily fixed, but otherwise he looked alright. Arthur leant him some of his clothes so he was wearing a pair of white sweatpants and a blue shirt, covered by a cream jumper that Arthur never really liked or used. Both sat on the sofa as Francis explained the reason he was there.

"So you're telling me that your clan is basically trying to kill you?"  
Arthur asked, earning a sad nod from the incubus next to him.

A moment of silence washed over then before Arthur murmured.  
"Would you like to join my vampire clan? That means your old clan won't be able to track your scent."

Francis paused, biting his lip.  
"What's the process?"

The vampire shifted, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"Um, well....I think the dominant male vampire has to draw blood from the person joining and 'feed' the blood to the clan's flower representative."  
He motioned to a bright red rose in a glass container near them.  
"Then they must bathe in water of the flower. You know, like rose water or blossom water-stuff that you'd get at spas. That gives you the clan's scent."

The incubus nodded, inspecting his injured tail half-heartedly.  
"I'll do it, then. It doesn't seem too bad..."

Arthur sighed, getting up and walking over to the displayed, thornless rose. Taking it out, he placed it carefully on the coffee table before going back to Francis. 

"Are you sure?"  
He asked cautiously, with a nod in response from his friend.

"Oui."

Nodding, Arthur began to move some of the incubus' hair away from his neck and bent down.

"Wait!"  
Arthur raised his sight to Francis' face.  
"Doesn't your dad need to do this? You said the dominant male, oui?"

"Yes, I did."  
The vampire nodded.  
"But that's me. My father is a demon, as well as my younger brother, so it doesn't affect my position. Do you still want to go through with it?"

The incubus nodded, leaning his head to the right and moving his locks out of the way.  
"Go ahead."

Hesitating, Arthur pricked the skin of Francis' neck, only enough for a bead of blood to swell. He took the rose from the table and pressed it firmly against the wound, causing the other to flinch.

Putting the rose back into it's container, Arthur got an adhesive bandage and cleaned up Francis' bite mark, despite the fact that it was a pinprick compared to his other injuries, and he insisted that he was fine. 

Arthur smiled as he finished, pulling Francis out of the room.  
"Now, let's get you in the rose water bath as quickly as possible. The quicker you join our clan, the quicker we can get yours off your back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Yao Wang~Human  
> -Ivan Braginski~Human  
> -Alfred F. Jones~Human  
> -Matthew W. Jones~Human  
> -Arthur Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Lynette Kirkland~Vampire (Mentioned)  
> -Francis Bonnefoy~Incubus


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Arthur should reconsider taking walks in the forest.

Arthur was walking through the forest. This time, Lovino was with him. The hellhound's ears were thin but perked and his tail was even thinner and scruffier.

"Why did you ask me to come with you on a walk again? You usually hate social interaction."  
The vampire asked, closing his eyes as he listened to the sounds of the afternoon forest.

"I need to get away from home. Grandpa and my parents has become unbearable because he keeps asking me about my soulmate ever since he heard you found yours."  
He answered swiftly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.   
"Of course, Feli never gets asked because he's Mama's little puppy. He's only one year younger than me, for fuck's sake."

"Ah, so you wanted to vent. Continue."  
The Brit teased, smiling as he he opened his eyes to glance at the other.

"N-no! I...it's just...shut up!"  
Lovino spluttered, looking to the side, his cheeks warming.

The two walked in a comfortable silence for a while, before Lovino spoke up.  
"Your soulmate's a monster hunter. That really is just tough luck."

Arthur hummed in response.  
"I know. I doubt I'm going to get a happy ending out of that."

"Well, happy endings are just things in fairytales."  
The hellhound murmured, his tail twitching.  
"In reality, life just likes to fuck with you just when you think everything is going to be fine."

"I sup..pose..."  
Arthur's voice trailed off, as he stopped. Then he asked, barely above a whisper.  
"Do you hear that?"

The Italian's ear turned to the west.   
"Yeah. Footsteps and...voices?"

Curious, the two silently followed the noise to the source.

"They're in this clearing."  
Lovino hissed, pulling Arthur into the bush beside them. Peering through the leaves, he growled.  
"Fucking monster hunters."

"Really?"  
Arthur pushed some leaves aside so he could get a clear view of what was happening. His heart skipped beat.

Alfred was there, gun strapped to his back. With him were two other humans Arthur did not recognise. The shortest was Chinese, with long hair tied in a ponytail, out of the way. The other was tan, with bright eyes and brown hair. 

Arthur's companion noticed his eyes lingering on the American.  
"Is that him?"

The Brit nodded, before he shifted, causing the leaves to rustle. His blood ran cold.

"What was that sound?"  
Toni asked, looking around at the bushes, gun in hand.

"Um, it came from over there. Maybe a rabbit for dinner?"  
Alfred contemplated, pointing at the bush in which the two monsters were hiding.

"No harm in trying."  
Yao added, nodding at the Spaniard, giving him permission to shoot.

A gunshot echoes through the forest. Instinctively, Lovino grabbed the vampire's arm and pulled him to the side, causing the bullet to whistle past Arthur's ear. 

"How did you do that? I couldn't see the bullet coming."  
He asked in awe as he pulled away from Lovi.

The other scoffed.  
"I'm a hellhound. It's my natural instinct to protect any monster."

"Oh..."

Footsteps hurried in their direction. Lovino turned to face the clearing just as Antonio kneeled down and parted the leaves.

Lovino growled at him, ears perked in alarm and a set of glowing, completely red eyes appeared beneth his olive ones. His fangs lengthened, and his claws began to replace his nails. 

Antonio screeched in surprise, jumping back as the enraged hellhound shifted into his hound form. His body was thin and skelatal, and his eyes showed undisguised rage and slight terror.

The hound emerged from the bushes, crouching and snarling.

"A monster! Hurry, shoot it!"  
Yao yelled as Toni aimed with shaking hands.

Another gunshot rang, hitting Lovino's front paw, making him yelp and growl.

"What kind of aim is that, aru?!"  
The Chinese hunter scolded as Arthur ran out of his hiding space reluctantly.

Alfred's eyes widened. The vampire, for the third time in a row.

"Lovino!"  
He hissed, tugging the fur on his back. The hellhound turned to face him, his eyes widening before he shifted back into human.

"Sor-"  
Lovino was cut off by his own growl of pain. Glancing down at his right hand, which had a bullet embedded into the flesh, with crimson blood oozing from the sides of the wound, dancing in ribbons down his hand.

"Arthur?"  
Lovino murmured, looking up to see his friend's eyes fixated on the wound, his fangs lengthening.

Shaking his head, the boy clamped his hand over his nose and mouth.  
"Sorry. Y'know, blood and all."

Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but locked eyes with Arthur as he narrowed his own, green clashing with specks of red as the bloody colour consumed his irises.

Lovino, noticing the tension and the fact that Yao was now wrenching the gun from Antonio and taking aim, grabbed the vampire's wrist and began sprinting with the speed of a wild dog in hunt.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The hellhound pushed Arthur out of the way of the bullets, causing himself to get another bullet colliding with his left shoulder. He groaned in agony, pain blooming from his shoulder and hand.

"We need to get out of here!"  
The Englishboy huffed, more gunshots ringing in his ears.

"What do you think I'm doing?!"  
The other replied, escaping from the trees and finally exiting the forest.

■□■□■□■□■□■□

"We need to set up lots of traps in this area, now that we know there are monsters here."  
Yao said, pursing his lips as he lowered the gun.  
"And both of you need to do extra training."

Alfred's eyes were still on the shadow of the surrounding trees, his only thought surprising him.

'I hope he's not hurt...'

Maybe Matt was right. Maybe he was lovestruck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Arthur Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Lovino Vargas~Hellhound  
> -Alfred F. Jones~Human  
> -Antonio Fernández Carriedo~Human  
> -Yao Wang~Human


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew had to be the best brother Alfred could wish for, especially when it came to moral support.

"If you are in trouble, remember to call in a tone unable for humans to hear. Also, make sure to...."

Arthur's mind was far away from the speech being given. Lovino's grandfather reported the incident with the hunters and now the school was giving a lecture on how to deal with a hunter if you meet one and other things similar.

Lovino sat next to him, also distracted. His hand and shoulder were smothered with banadages, but he still looked dishevelled and also seemed like he had a sleepless night.

The vampire sighed softly as his mind wandered back to his soulmate, and the other two the day before. The hunter that found them, the Spaniard, seemed to be hesitant. Not due to fear, Arthur had decided to note, but because he seemed to be hesitant to harm them. If that was so, how did someone like that become a hunter?

"Thank you for listening. You are all dismissed."  
The speaker finished, and the room exploded with chatter and the bustling of all the students exiting the room. Feliciano smiled as he picked up both his and Lovino's bag. According to the latter, Feli had followed him everywhere ever since he had come home injured last night.

"It's probably instinctual. Not only is he a  hellhound, but you're family as well."  
Arthur had said.

"I don't know. Romeo didn't react in that way."  
The other had replied, but the conversation ended there. 

The three exited the auditorium, Feli babbling about how he hated Physical Training, which was his first lesson, with his older brother adding some small comments here and there. Arthur remained silent.

"Anyway, have fun at Dark Magic, fratello!"  
The younger hellhound chirped, placing Lovino's bag on his desk before he hurried out of the nearly empty classroom and down the corridor to his own lesson.

Lovino shook his head as he took out his books, chuckling. Arthur took his seat near the back, and watched as the stream of students entered the classroom.

■□■□■□■□■□■□

Alfred placed the final handful of leaves at the base of the tree, fully disguising the rope of the trap.

Ivan smiled, finished disguising the trap itself.  
"This is an Apache foot trap. Any monster that walks here will get a noose tied around their foot and when they try to escape, the rope will get tighter."

The American nodded in reponse before he paused.  
"But wouldn't they be able to untie the knot?"

"It will be very tight, so the knot will be hard to untie."  
Ivan assured, looking around the area.  
"I think that's enough for now, dа?"

"Uh, sure."  
Alfred agreed, following the other hunter as they made their way back. Really, he was a bit hesitant to help make the traps as he didn't want to be reponsible of Arthur potentially being harmed, but eventually agreed. After all, he didn't want Yao or Ivan to be supicious of him. They already constantly had their eyes on him to begin with.

As soon as they arrived back, Alfred retreated to his room. He collapsed onto his bed with a groan.

"Why do I want to date a fucking vampire?!"  
He yelled into his pillow.  
"I'm such a weirdo!"

The door creaked open, Matthew's head popping into the room.  
"Are you okay? You stormed here as soon as you got back. Not even a hello!"

"Leave me alone, I'm sulking."  
Alfred mumbled.

"Oh, is this about the whole vampire fiasco and how I'm right and you're wrong?"  
Matthew asked, an underlying smug tone in his voice.

"Yeah...I mean, no, fuck off!"  
Alfred clutched the pillow underneath him and launched it at Matthew's head, sitting up and frowning when it missed it's target.

"Listen, don't worry about it."  
Matthew walked in, silently closing the door behind him. He perched himself on his brother's bed.  
"I know it's hard to accept it, especially since Mum and Dad were killed by a vampire...but you know both of them would want you to follow your heart. And if it's me you're worried about, you know that I'm supportive of you being in a relationship with a vampy. Besides, he seemed nice enough. Minus the violence."

"Geez, thanks for the monolouge, Matt."  
Alfred grumbled, wincing slightly as the other mentioned their parents' death.

"But seriously, I'm here for you, y'know?"  
He replied.

"I know..."  
Alfred whispered, surprising even himself at how hoarse his voice was, as his voice cracked.

Matthew pursed his lips before adding.  
"We could tell Toni. You know he's a softie, and he really just wants to do good. He doesn't want to hurt anyone."

Alfred stared his red and white striped duvet. No reply. Just a small, hesitant nod.

The two the spent the next few hours appreciating each other's company and reflecting on the past in a comfortable silence.

□■□■□■□■□■

"Arthur, don't you dare go on the other side of that fucking fence."  
Francis hissed, gripping the vampire's wrist tight enough to bruise. 

The two were standing in front of the gap in the school fence. Arthur was set on going on his regular forest walk, despite Francis, Ludwig and Kiku's efforts to convince him to just stay in school for once. Although, it was unlikely that Arthur would have listened to Ludwig. Vampires and werewolves always seemed to have an underlying hatred, or  at least grudge, because of some silly war millions of years ago. 

"Let me go!"  
The Brit muttered, pulling his wrist away from Francis' grasp. A pained expression flashed across the Frenchboy's face.

"I'm just worried for you, mon petit chauve-souris."  
He sighed, closing his eyes.  
"But I can't stop you, can I?"

Guilt invaded Arthur's mind for a brief moment, but he pushed it back.  
"No. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

And with that, he escaped the school ground, relaxing as he felt the wind tangle in his hair. Closing his eyes, he used his supernatural hearing to navigate between the trees, sprinting.

Suddenly, his foot slipped, as if it had been swallowed by the earth. Begrudgingly opening his eyes, his heart sank. A rope was bound around his foot. He was caught in a foot trap.

Tugging on his foot, he growled in pain as the rope tightened around his ankle. Then, his eyes widened as his head shot up, his gaze shifting to his left.

Five steady, human beartbeats, approaching him.

"Crap.."  
He mumbled, giving up on freeing himself as he knew it was impossible and he didn't have time to fiddle with a knot.

Panicking, he opened his mouth and let out a pitched scream, high enough to go unnoticed by humans.  
"HELP!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Arthur Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Lovino Vargas~Hellhound  
> -Feliciano Vargas~Hellhound  
> -Romeo Vargas (mentioned)~Hellhound  
> -Alfred F. Jones~Human  
> -Ivan Braginsky~Human  
> -Matthew W. Jones~Human  
> -Antonio Fernández Carriedo (mentioned)~Human  
> -Francis Bonnefoy~Incubus


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a fight for freedom.

Ludwig was walking around the school grounds calmly, appreciating the rare moment of calm he had. The werewolf respected the fact that Francis allowed Arthur to slip away as they had known each other for longer but it was clear that Francis was worried sick. The vampire had ten minutes left. Ten minutes to get back here, unscathed.

A shrill cry echoed in the German's ears. His werewolf side kicking in, he recognised the high call was from Arthur. His eyes widened, and he could see a few other students sense a disturbance. His inner werewolf taking over, Ludwig howled at the top of his lungs to alert any of the non-sensitive listeners.

Arthur was in danger.

And Ludwig knew that someone was going to be dragged into Hell by an incubus, kitsune and hellhound.

■□■□■□■□■□■

Alfred was bored out of his mind. All five of them had gone to check the traps together and so far nothing interesting came up. Antonio was in possession of the gun, so that he could practise his shooting if anything came up, even though both Alfred and Matthew knew that Toni didn't have the heart to kill unless absolutely necessary.

That was, until they reached their tenth clearing. There, with his foot stuck, was the vampire that Alfred had stuck in his head for the past few days.

Arthur's eyes were wide as he saw, not one, but five humans. He was vunerable, which made him frightened. So much so, he was visibly shaking. His hair was tousled and his fangs were visible from his half opened mouth. It didn't help that it had to be the hunter that just so happened to be his soulmate.

"If we bring this vampire back, we could sell him off and make millions!"  
Yao said, eyes gleaming as he glanced at Ivan.  
"Does that sound good to you?"

"Da, it does. Let's start then, shall we?"  
He pulled out a coil of stronger rope from his pocket, approaching the trapped monster.

"Arthur! Are you oka-"  
Lovino skidded to a stop, Feliciano bumping lightly into his back. The elder hellhound started to growl as he noticed the situation.  
"Get the FUCK away from him."

Antonio recognised the hellhound almost immeadiatly, a slightly pained expression appearing on his face. 

"Another! Catch them!"  
Yao instructed, as Feli desperately tried to calm his infuriated brother, failing miserably.

"C'mon Feli. We're fucking hellhounds. Are you going to live up to the name or not?"  
Lovino questioned as he shifted to his hound form. Gleaming red eyes and shaggy brown fur clinging to a skelatal body appeared, the bandages from his wounds snaking down to the floor without a glance. Lovino growled menacingly, before he leaped at Ivan, attacking him with teeth and claws.

"F-fratello!"  
Hesitating, Feliciano too shifted to his hound form. His fur seemed to be slightly more nourished and fluffy, with his red eyes shining with worry and terror rather than anger. He followed his brother's actions, clearly inexperienced when it came to fighting. 

The hellhound approached Antonio, Alfred and Matthew, only to stop when Lovino started to growl lowly. Flicking his left ear, Feliciano ran towards the older hunters instead.

Feli tried to attack Yao, and managed to get a firm grip on his arm, but the Chinese man was too quick for him. Yao had a dagger gripped in his hand in no time. A swing of the dagger to his chest had the younger hellhound whining in pain and loosing his grip on the man's left arm. Scoffing, his opponent kicked the puppy, causing his body to roll and hit the tree with a thump. 

"Feliciano!"  
Lovino yelled, pulling away from his battle and sprinting over to his brother as he shifted back to his human form. He knelt next to him, eyes widened in shock as he used his hand to brush some of his brother's fur away to inspect the wound. It was a deep gash running from his left shoulder to his right elbow.

"F-Feli, can you shift for me?"  
His voice was wavering but he didn't care. His brother nodded, and winced as he shifted. The wound seemed even worse in his human. His shirt was ripped and bloody, and the wound seemed deeper than ever. 

Desperately, Lovino pulled off his sweater vest and started to bandage Feliciano's wound. It wasn't the best, but it was better than his used bandages on the floor. 

Meanwhile the hunters' attention was back on Arthur, who was now hissing as the Russian hunter approaching him, baring his fangs in an attempt to intimidate him, even though he was completely vunerable. He glanced over at the Italians, a wave of guilt hitting him. None of this would have happened if he didn't sneak out of school.

A low chuckle echoed around the trees, causing Ivan to freeze and look around.

"You really want to go to Hell, don't you?"  
The voice muttered, it's owner appearing from the shadows and surprising even Arthur.

Francis stood in his ultimate demon form-the form an incubus would take just as he's about to rip your beating heart out of your chest. Jet black wings were unfurled and two deep blue horns curled in his hair. His eyes had become darker and blue flame danced up and down his arm. Francis had arrived and he was fucking pissed.

Instinctually, all five hunters took out their holy daggers, but Francis just melted the metal with his hellfire and a smirk.  
"Sorry, try again~"

Ivan grunted, taking out a normal dagger and lunging. Francis dodged quickly, and the same cycle repeated continously. However, this was Francis' first attempt at fighting and eventually he grew tired and was just a second too slow. The dagger was planted firmly into his torso, luckily avoiding any internal organs. Gagging as blood filled his mouth, the incubus staggered backwards, reverting back to his human form, and collapsing at the bottom of a tree.

The Russian turned back to Yao to find him fighting against a small white kitsune, in fox form, whose eyes were ablaze. Noticing that it's back was turned, he raised his dagger.

Arthur, who was watching while struggling helplessly, yelled to try and warn his friend.  
"Kiku! Behind yo-ack!"  
The rope tightened, and Arthur was sure it had cut off his blood circuit.

The kitsune sharply turned just as Ivan swung the dagger, causing a red line to swell from his bottom lip to his Adam's apple. Kiku shifted back to his human form, choking as he rested a hand on his neck, opening his mouth as if calling silently, his eyes widening. 

Yao turned to the three apprentices, before he ordered.  
"Shoot the vampire, Antonio. I changed my mind."

Hesitantly nodding, the Spaniard took his aim, trembling. His finger was on the trigger and he closed his eyes.

"STOP!"

Alfred stood in front of a shocked Arthur in a defense position, a determined look on his face.  
"You are NOT going to shoot him."  
He growled.

Antonio slowly lowered the gun as Yao and Ivan stared at the American in disbelief.

"Alfred, this is a monst-"  
Yao started, just to be cut of by a fuming Alfred.

"No, he's not! We're catergorising him as a 'monster' and 'evil' because of something others of his kind did. That's called stereotyping, which isn't cool."  
Alfred crossed his arms, shifting his feet.  
"Arthur hasn't done anything wrong. In fact, NONE of the regular vampires have really. Yeah, they kill people, but they have to so they can survive. It's in their nature and they can't help it. It's like telling someone they can't breathe-they'd die after a while, right? Drinking blood for vampires is like breathing for us humans!"

"What are you trying to say, Jones?"  
Ivan muttered, narrowing his eyes.

Alfred gripped the wooden cross around his neck before ripping it off and dropping it onto the floor.  
"I quit."

All eyes widened at the American's simple statement.

"...What?"  
Yao whispered, eyes widening.

"You heard me, old man."  
Alfred replied smoothly, standing his ground.  
"I quit."

"Impossible. After all your training-"  
Ivan spoke, before being cut off by Matthew.

"I agree with Al. I quit."  
The Canadian said, walking over to his brother and taking a defensive position as well. 

"You'll never be accepted back if you do! You'll have no where to stay."  
Yao tried to reason with the two, but his attempts were fruitless. 

Antonio looked between Alfred and Yao before he dropped his gun. 

"I trust that Alfred and Matthew will find a way through. So..I quit too."  
Antonio muttered, walking over to stand beside Matthew. 

Alfred smiled at his old mentors.  
"You're outnumbered. Just leave them alone."

The American bent down and freed Arthur's foot with a pocketknife. The vampire muttered his thanks before pulling his foot out of the ditch.

"You're siding with monsters, Jones."  
Ivan growled as he picked up the duscarded gun, checking the ammo before aiming at Alfred.

"And do you want to know why?"  
The American questioned, eyeing the gun.  
"I LOVE THIS VAMPIRE."

A look of shock crossed Ivan's face before his eyes narrowed, and he rest his finger on the trigger.

"RUN!"  
Arthur yelled, grabbing Alfred's hand and sprinting into the surrounding trees. Kiku narrowed his eyes, shifting into his fox form and sprinted after them. Francis struggled onto his feet, grabbing Matthew's hand before escaping. Lovino pulled his brother onto his back, pushing Antonio to urge him to run as he did so before grabbing his forearm and running. 

Gunshots fired after them, echoing in their ears. Alfred clung onto Arthur, the vampire's heightened hearing helping the two avoid the bullets. 

Arthur smiled as he felt Alfred squeeze his hand. His soulmate was here and his soulmate really loved him.

Maybe happy endings existed after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of Species:  
> -Arthur Kirkland~Vampire  
> -Lovino Vargas~Hellhound  
> -Feliciano Vargas~Hellhound  
> -Yao Wang~Human  
> -Alfred F. Jones~Human  
> -Ivan Braginsky~Human  
> -Matthew W. Jones~Human  
> -Antonio Fernández Carriedo~Human  
> -Francis Bonnefoy~Incubus  
> -Kiku Honda~Kitsune  
> -Ludwig Beilschmidt~Werewolf


End file.
